Payment Due
by Leya
Summary: Sakano's the one who drove the car that nearly killed Aizawa. Now he can't stop thinking about it.


Title: Payment Due  
>Autor: Leya<br>Fandom: Gravitation  
>Characters: SakanoTohma  
>Disclaimer: All the characters are the sole property of Maki Murakami. I'm only playing with them.<br>Word Count: 1.377  
>Rating: R<br>Warnings: none

Written for the Birthday Challenge at **tohma_love**. Prompt No. 4 – Sakano's the one who drove the car that nearly killed Aizawa. Now he can't stop thinking about it.

This one's a present for **blameshimself**.

* * *

><p>It was a dream come true.<p>

How often had he dreamt about something like this, about his boss visiting his home, and now Seguchi Tohma was actually standing in the middle of his apartment, taking off his coat and gloves and being so obviously out of place in the small, shabby living-room that the producer almost was certain to be hallucinating.

„I hope my presence doesn't cause any inconvenience."

„No, no! Of course not!" Sakano stuttered and looked around, desperately searching for something to say or to do but his mind was completely blank, all of his thoughts revolving around the mind-blowing fact that his boss had appeared in person to look after him.

Somehow he suddenly found it hard to breathe.

„You called in sick and I just wanted to make sure that everything's alright." Tohma smiled at him, worry shadowing his clear green-blue eyes, a sight that made Sakano's heart beat faster.

„I'm so sorry, Sakano-san. I should have called a cab. It was irresponsible of me to put you in a situation like this."

When Tohma had called the day before, asking him to come and pick him up, Sakano almost fainted out of sheer happiness. He sped towards their meeting place and he knew everything was his fault because he just didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. His mind was focused on Tohma and this incredible chance fate so unexpectedly placed in his hands that he saw and heard nothing – until it almost was too late.

It took Sakano a moment to understand that his superior referred to the fact that he almost had run over Aizawa Taki with his car. He still was shaking like a leaf every time he thought about what almost happened but it had been his fault alone and he couldn't let Tohma take the blame for his stupidity.

„You must still be upset about the previous events. I cannot tell you how sorry I am."

„It's just that I still see him sitting there in the headlights. So frightened..." Sakano tried to control his violently trembling hands but they just wouldn't obey.

„Poor Sakano." Tohma placed a placating hand on the trembling man's arm and directed him towards the couch. „Sit down and let me bring you some tea."

„No!" Sakano shot up but Tohma just pressed him down again and patted his shoulder.

„It's alright, Sakano-san. That's the least I can do after causing you so much trouble."

When Tohma came back out of the kitchen Sakano was still sitting on the couch. He was hugging himself.

„What's wrong?"

„I should have waited until the ambulance..."

„Oh. I see. You're blaming yourself but that's not necessary. I've been with him there the whole time and when the ambulance came they said that although he was in shock he soon would get over it."

„But I nearly killed him! I fled from the scene of the accident. Tomorrow I'll go and surrender to the police."

„Don't be so melodramatic." Tohma tried to reason with Sakano, but the man seemed to be lost in his memories.

„I nearly..."

„Sakano-san! Stop it."

The producer looked up, still not completely free from the nightmare he had endured the evening before.

„Please, Sakano-san. It wasn't your fault."

_Tohma reaching out for Aizawa..._

„Aizawa-san should have looked out for the traffic."

_...not to prevent him from falling into the street..._

„Nothing happened to him. He's still alive even if a little shaken."

_...but... to push him..._

„You tried to kill him."

Tohma just sat there, blinking incredulously. „Pardon?"

„I said, you tried to kill him."

„Don't be ridiculous, Sakano-san. Why would I..."

„I don't know why. I just know that you tried to kill Aizawa... Oh my... I have to call the police but... I can't..."

The producer gripped his tie with both hands, desperately trying to loosen it to get some air. His mind was reeling. His boss, Seguchi Tohma, the man he had admired since seeing him for the first time, idol of millions, had tried to kill one of his employees.

„Please let me give you an advice, Sakano-san." The silken voice of his boss interrupted his thoughts tumbling around in his head. When he looked up, Tohma's eyes were hard and unforgiving.

Sakano desperately tried to swallow but the lump in his throat wouldn't budge. He never had seen Tohma this way before. When the keyboarder reached into his pocket, Sakano felt his heartbeat anxiously speeding up.

„I feared you would find out about my little... escapade. You're very clever after all." Tohma's voice still sounded gentle, almost friendly, when he offered a thick envelope to the disturbed producer. „Please take this little gratification for all the trouble I've caused you."

Wearily Sakano took it, turning it over and over in his hands, before he finally plucked up enough courage to open it.

He should have known that this would be his reward.

Sakano wasn't sure what he felt, wasn't even sure what he _should _feel, but this... this was simply...

Abruptly he jumped to his feet, crumbling the envelope in his hands. Breathing heavily he stood there, while Tohma just smiled at him encouragingly. Gaping at his superior in a speechless rage, the young man finally had enough and threw the envelope on the small table. Banknotes twirled through the air.

„I take it your payment isn't to your liking, then." Tohma stated coolly and stood up. His eyes were still cold and completely unamused. „Maybe you want to explain yourself?"

Sakano swallowed hard. „Seguchi-san...", he stuttered, while his hands wandered to his tie again, gripping it in a death-like grip.

„When you don't want my money, Sakano-san... what do you want instead?"

„I... I want... you!", he blurted out. One second later he would gladly have jumped out of the window. Tohma's face seemed to be made of stone.

„That's impossible. I suggest you take the money. It's more than you'll earn in a year and it's all you'll get."

„No. I don't care about money, Seguchi-san. I... I love you!"

„Get out of my way."

„Please wait! Tohma...", Sakano gasped in shock when he realised that he just called Seguchi Tohma by his given name.

„Get out of my way before I forget myself!"

The producent decided to put all of his eggs into one basket and stepped forward, trying to corner the smaller male against the wall of his living-room.

Tohma's expressive green-blue eyes widened at the nearly contact they made and one of his hands came up to stop Sakano's advance.

„It's time to tell you about my feelings", Sakano whispered and for the first time in his life he felt enough courage to aim at his goal.

„That's absolutely unnecessary." Slowly Tohma tried to reach the door by backing away.

„Tohma, wait! I want... we need to talk!"

„No, we don't!" Tohma didn't even think about stopping. „You don't need to explain it. I know exactly what you want and it's not going to happen!"

„Tohma please! It's just... I've always admired you. And what I've done I've done for you! I would follow you into hell and back when you ordered me to. That's all I ask. Acknowledge me for a human being! Just once!" Sakano gnawed on his lower lip before he continued: „I won't apologise for my feelings because they won't change. Ever."

„I'm a married man, Sakano", Tohma told him softly and for the first time since the producer had suggested for them to sleep together he seemed a little relaxed. „I knew that you admired me but I never would have thought... it doesn't matter. I'm married and I love my wife. I won't betray her. Not for you or anyone."

„Not even for Yuki Eiri?"

The silence following his words was deafening.

He had gone too far. Sakano knew it in the second the words left his mouth but it was too late to take them back.

With his back turned on his producer, Tohma just straightened himself and strode to the door. „I expect you at work tomorrow. Please don't try my patience again."

The door closed with a soft thud, mercilessly shattering Sakano's innocent dream into pieces.

END


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